A merciless sex offender who terrorised two brothels, raping, robbing and assaulting prostitutes will serve a minimum of five years in prison. Valentinas Cervinskas, 21, and his gang posed as clients before tying the women up and threatening to kill them unless they handed over cash and had sex. The callous criminal slapped and punched the scared sex workers until they gave the PIN numbers for their bankcards and threatened to suffocate one by placing a plastic bag over her head. The first attack happened in April last year, at a flat in Edgware Road, Dollis Hill. Cervinskas visited the brothel with a friend just after midnight and went to a cash machine after agreeing a price for sex. He returned to the flat with a four other men who forced their way into the premises. The gang then gathered the three prostitutes and tied their wrists together with phone charger cables, before ransacking the premises. Two of the prostitutes were then raped by all of the men and left tied up. The second identical attack took place in Vicarage Road, Hendon, in May 2007. But sex beast Cervinskas left semen on a pillow and was traced by the police through DNA identification. He was arrested in June 2007 and appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on July 4, where he pleaded guilty to rape and robbery. Before passing sentence, the judge described Cervinskas as merciless and said he was a significant danger to the public. Throughout the trial he refused to speak about the other members of the violent gang who are still to be identified. DC Mcintosh, from Brent Police, said: "The defendant waited until the day of the trial before pleading guilty. "He was hoping that the victims, probably due to their occupations, would not attend the court to give evidence and that this would lead to his acquittal, but he was wrong. "The victims were extremely frightened of giving evidence but they overcame this fear, and due to the support they received were able to attend and get the result they deserved."